Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Lynch was listed as No.3 defensive end in the nation.[1] After de-committing from Florida State, he re-committed to Notre Dame over offers from Florida and Miami.[2]

College career[edit]

Freshman[edit]

In 2011, Lynch enrolled a semester early at Notre Dame and was able to participate in spring practice. He worked his way onto the second team and dominated in the annual Blue-Gold game.[3] In his freshman season, he played in 12 games, starting in 6 of them. He recorded 33 tackles including 7 tackles for loss, a team high 5.5 sacks, and a team high of 14 quarterback hurries. He was awarded a 1st team selection on The 11th annual Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team[4]

Sophomore[edit]

In April 2012, Lynch decided to transfer from Notre Dame, citing a desire to return closer to his home.[5] After pondering his options, he announced his transfer to USF.[6] He applied for a waiver to play immediately but the NCAA denied his request, forcing him to sit out the 2012 season.[7]

Junior[edit]

Lynch led the Bulls with 6 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, playing in all 12 games. He finished with 30 total tackles and added a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in a 13-10 win over the Connecticut Huskies. Lynch had a strong finish to the season despite the Bulls' 3-9 record, totaling all 6 sacks in the last 7 games.

Professional career[edit]

2014 NFL Draft[edit]

2014 season[edit]

After Patrick Willis suffered a season ending injury, Aaron Lynch was given an opportunity and assisted on 4 tackles and made two great solo tackles on November 9th against the New Orleans Saints. His 6 tackles in addition to his pass defended (pat down) helped the San Francisco 49ers excel in an overtime battle to defeat the Saints and remain in the National Football League playoff picture. Aaron is project to start as an outside linebacker in the 2014 season.